


嘘をつけばと閻魔様に舌を抜かれる

by epochyun (emominki)



Series: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Korean Religion & Lore, M/M, Mount Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 18:23:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21286130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emominki/pseuds/epochyun
Summary: Sehun loves little lies.---If he had it his way, Sehun would cheat his way out of death. But Kai, the King of the Underworld, doesn't take things so lightly. Neither does he make exceptions.Unless, of course, there's been a mistake in the Underworld's system and someone wasn't supposed to die.. has died.Sehun's that exception.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Series: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548382
Comments: 9
Kudos: 31





	1. Bitter Blue

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how to write good summaries. lol. This is the Japanese x Korean x Greek mythology AU the world doesn't need. Enjoy!

Sehun's never been comfortable with the truth. The words always had a sickly, bitter taste- just like a pill had popped open in his mouth. When he'd say the opposite, adrenaline would flood his system and he'd immediately go into hard drive. It was a feeling he was always craving, like food, it filled him up with an odd pleasure. If he could, he'd cheat his way out of death. 

It began as a child. Tiny fibs, sprinkled here and there. "Where'd you get those scissors from?" His mother would ask him after school as he emptied his bag for his homework. 

"Oh," Sehun would say as he thought of a believable lie, "The teacher let me borrow them." Not mentioning he stole them during recess to threaten a kid (his bully Jaehwan who had called him gay too many times for it to be fun with them after school.

His mother would hum, and Sehun always felt that she could see through him. He hated how it felt. She'd give him a glance that would make him feel transparent; she knew all the tips and tricks of his trade. 

Then it went on to high school. "What'd you get on the physics test?" His then-girlfriend would bring small talk up during lunch, "I bombed it." 

Sehun would reply with a "I studied my ass off the nigh before the test,"-knowing very well he was playing PUGb up until three am- "I got an A." 

At best, he got a C minus. 

When college rolled around, Sehun started to lie a little less. He realized people wouldn't like it if he flat-out fibbed. At some point, they'd realize the truth for themselves. He didn't want his glass castle to shatter with him in it. Now all he'd do is stretch out his actuality out like taffy so they'd be indistinguishable from his reality. Lies came out from his mouth only when he let them. 

Drunken, and disoriented, Sehun stumbled out the club with a group of equally wasted friends. "Okay, truth or dare." Johnny spluttered as he held on a light pole to keep himself upright, "Sehun, truth or dare?" 

The trio had been playing child games before being kicked out the bar (for causing too much of ruckus; some girl had felt Sehun up and when he pushed her away, the bartender thought they were fighting and practically hurled Sehun and his friends out of their premise) and for some reason, Johnny wanted to continue the game outside. 

"Broo," Amber leaned on Sehun as he walked down the sidewalk. "You gotta ansher himmm." 

Sehun sluggishly turned around to face Johnny. "Who.. What do you want? Want to know, I mean. Haha. I'll tell you the truth, Jon-bon."

Usually more eloquently spoken, Sehun was only _slightly_ buzzed up. He was sober enough to know the weight of his own words and Johnny's next question. 

As the world spun around him and Amber continued to make her way down the street as she sang, "London bridge is falling down, falling down, fallingggg downnnnn." 

"I know you don't like girls, Sehunnie." Johnny smiled slyly. "Do you like boys, Hunnie?" 

There was a long pause. For once, Sehun answered a question before thinking. It wasn't a lie this time. 

"Yes."

A pill popped in his mouth. 

If Sehun could erase anything from that day, he'd change his answer. The look of disgust that morphed on Johnny's face had broke Sehun's heart. Although drunk, he was sober enough to remember how Johnny recoiled from him when he went closer to him. His only friends were leaving him- his glass castle was cracking, breaking down, and it wasn't because of his lies. 

"Thats... _disgusting_." 

"No.. No.. No, Jon, I'm not- I-I-It's not.." 

The two men were too focused on theirselves when Amber had stumbled out into the road. She was the eldest of the bunch, but Sehun and Johnny had felt as if they a sense of responsibility over her.

That responsibility had fled them this night- a night where it shouldn't have. 

Bright lights had flashed when Amber crossed the road- and they got only closer. Sehun, for some reason, had became über aware of the situation: a vehicle was hurling itself at Amber. The poor girl was too drunk to notice the vestibule headed her way.

"Move! Fucking fuck, Amber, go- get out of the way!" 

"Nooo! You move!" She whipped around, stuck her tongue and flicked her middle finger at youngest of the trio from the middle of the street. 

Sehun tore his eyes away from Johnny and dashed to save Amber. She, still clueless, began to dance wildly with her back to the car headed her way. 

He shoved the girl as hard as he could- as fast as he could, technically, as the vehicle made its way towards them. She fell to the curb and hit her head on the hard pavement with an grunt. 

It was much worse for Sehun. 

The last thing he had seen was the light- two bright moons that rushed to greet him- the cool pavement, the warmth of his blood, the sharp pain coursing through his body and then a welcoming darkness.

And then he woke up. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the bright light that shone right into his eyes. There was a soft mattress beneath him, Sehun felt as if he was drowning in sheets. Albeit that, the air around him was thick and he felt very uncomfortable. Sehun turned his head around to get a gage of his surrounds, but there was nothing.

It was all white emptiness. 

He then sat up.

Whence he did, there was only a chair in front of his bed. And in that chair was a very handsome man in a black suit. This man had deep, tan skin, sharp hazel eyes and shiny dark brown hair- and a dazzling smile that could kill. Before Sehun could say anything, his eyes trailed to the two long merlot horns on the man's head. 

"Hello Oh Sehun. You're dead." The man said while simultaneously smiling, two sharp canines showing up as he spoke. The rest of what the man said faded out into the white emptiness. Sehun felt fuzzy, his whole body was tingling. 

_Holy fuck_, Sehun thought. _I'm dead. _

And then he blacked out. 

It was a cold day in the underworld. Blue illuminated from the windows, the city bustling with ghosts and ghouls, doing whatever the dead do. Kai turned around right when the door opened.

A sliver of fluorescent yellow light entered and disappeared with a slam. The sound of heels clicking on marbled floors stopped right when a case file slid across Kai's desk and stopped right in front of him. 

"File 1294. Oh Sehun. It's a pretty little liar case." Said his secretary, Minthe. "He died in a car crash- has business unfinished, but your uncle doesn't want him in heaven." 

"He's already dead?" Kai asked as he flipped through the pristine, unmarked papers of the file. He stopped when he came to Sehun's picture. A soft and serene expression was playing on Oh Sehun's face. The boy was pretty- he was smiling in the picture, but the grin didn't quite reach his ebony eyes. "Didn't Izanagi just create him?" 

Minthe glared at him through her red tinted glasses. Her claws rapped on his marble desk, "If you have so many questions, ask Jiwang."

She leaned across the cool marble, just enough until Kai could see right through her low-cut top. "Besides, don't we have more important businesses to handle?" She grinned. 

Kai tossed the file aside and pushed his chair away from his desk as Minthe sauntered across his desk towards him. 

As he kissed her, he couldn't help but think about Sehun. As her top fell from her shoulders to the ground, Kai's mind kept wandering to Sehun. Minthe bounced on his lap, tugged his hair, unbuttoned his shirt; Kai tried focusing solely on her, but he couldn't. 

Something was unsettling about the human- Kai wanted to know more. He _needed_ to know more, and he decided he would. 


	2. Sleep With Ease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sehun strikes a deal with the devil. Quite literally.

Minthe threw a large, fuchsia file in front of a pink-haired man as soon as she entered his very bright pink office.

The man, who seemed unbothered by the woman, did not lift his head at her intrusion as he was preoccupied by stringing his bow. 

“What the hell is this, Cupid?” She shrieked, leveling herself down with the god. The fireplace behind Cupid burst with green flames- not the usual pastel pink. 

Cupid hummed, “A destiny, it seems.” 

Minthe was now pacing in his office, strewn with books of karma-sutra and theories of love, kicking the heart shaped pillows across the room.

“Do you want to know whose?” 

“I could only guess it’s Kai’s.” Said Cupid promptly. He lifted his bow and aimed an imaginary arrow at the scowling Minthe. 

She smiled at him mockingly. 

“You’re right, Cupid. And do you want to know whose name is in it?” 

Cupid’s brow furrowed. “Is it not yours?” 

“No!” She yelled, pointing a finger threateningly at Cupid. “And it’s all your fault!” 

The god placed his bow delicately on the table and reached for the file Minthe had practically thrown in his face. It’s neon cover was marred with the name ‘Kai’ scribbled all over it. 

Usually, a god’s or king’s file were never so thin. 

They’d last pages on pages of hot pink paper, pictures of lovers and children on each side with detailed descriptions on how they were entangled with the god or king. 

Cupid never messed with anything with gods or kings, for it was forbidden. He could not meddle in his co-workers affairs; love was predestined for the kings and gods. 

As soon as Cupid opened the file, there was one pretty face right next to Kai’s. The boy in the picture had softer features than Kai, except for his sharp eyes and jawline- he was paler, with thinner, baby pink lips. He was a contrast to Kai's darker skin, devilish smirk and dark hair, Cupid thought they looked like personified Ying and Yang. 

A smile played on the boy’s face, so enticing that Cupid was entranced until his eyes fell to the singular sentence on the bottom of the paper. 

King of the Underworld [Kai] is to fall in love with a mortal man [Oh Sehun]. Two children are to come out of wedlock. 

Cupid’s mouth formed an ‘O’. It was well known Minthe and Kai had a cliched CEO-secretary relationship and that they slept around with each other quite often. 

Jiwang, Kai’s father, had bet Minthe would end up having Kai’s kids. How the tables have turned. 

“Well,” Cupid said after a while, “You know it’s not my fault. Gods can’t choose who they love. Neither can Kai.” 

Minthe wagged her finger. “But you can change that!” 

Cupid narrowed his eyes at the woman. The once warmth from the fireplace had become gray and ashen; a cool breeze entered the room even thought there were no windows. 

“You do not tamper with fate. For you have no idea what consequences lay ahead.” 

The green haired woman simpered at him. 

“If you do not change Kai’s fate, much heavier consequences lie for you, dear Cupid.” 

Cupid got up from his seat, his hand inching towards his bow. “I’m not sure what you mean, Minthe.” 

Minthe stood up straight and looked at Cupid through her bangs with a sneer. 

“I know about your human lover- I know that it’s not his fate, and you’re messing with it because you want him.” 

Cupid fell back into his seat expressionless. All be did was pull his bow close to his chest, caressing the metal near his heart. He had kept his relationship secret for almost a decade. Now his own stupid destiny file was giving him away.

He was destined to fall in love with a human; but the human was destiny for another man. Cupid, the god of love, would end up loveless. 

This is why he should’ve kept the files private- he trusted too easily. Minthe was the only one who he had given access to his files. They were friends since birth; she never seemed like the one to back stab. But the knife hurt.

Baekhyun said he trusted too easily and that was his flaw. He’d get hurt. 

“You want this Byun Baekhyun so badly- you’re fucking his life up. You’re even breaking your own rules!” She scoffed. “What if Soyeol knew of this… of this scandal?” 

Soyeol, the god of the humans, would skin him alive. 

The only reason Soyeol would believe Minthe is because of her ties to Kai. Kai was trustworthy and king whereas Minthe… _was a snake. _

A sly, sneaky snake. 

Cupid pinched the bridge of his nose, “He will strip me of my duties, send me to Tartarus, subject me to torture for eternity.” 

“That’s right, Cupid! You're fucked all over! Unless you want to help me, of course.” Minthe placed a hand on a hip and smiled cutely at him. “It’s all up to you.” 

The god leaned back in his chair with a heaving sigh. 

“What you want done?” 

Minthe rubbed her palms excitedly and the fireplace lit up again- this time with crackling bright turquoise flames. 

“Change Sehun’s fate to mine- and put me in his. I want to end up with Kai. He belongs to me, and only me.” 

Whence Sehun woke to, he wasn't in the white emptiness anymore. Instead, he was in a cheap-looking motel room that had a fluorescent green light above the door, flashing "welcome!" periodically. Other than that, only two yellow lamps lit the small, smoke-scented room. 

He was laying down on a thin mattress that croaked like a frog when he got up. Cold feet touched the hot floor, causing a shiver to course up his spine. The room was hot, almost unbearable, but Sehun always liked the heat. 

Sehun felt wet. His clothes were stuck to his body- and not because of sweat. He opened the door next to his nightstand and found a bathroom, as musty as the motel room. 

Flicking the lights on, the boy was met with his disheveled reflection. "Fucking hell.." He gaped. 

His clothes were wet with blood. Sehun's once white shirt was ruby red, patches of brown where the blood had dried- half his clothes were torn, abrasions racing from his arms, legs and abdomen, glowing bright pink. His eyes trailed from his clothes to his face. Streams of carmine dripped down from a laceration on his temple- there was discoloration on his cheek, pale skin marred greenish purple. 

Sehun brought his hands to his face, expecting it to hurt when he pressed into his bleeding temple; but it didn't. He felt normal. None of his wounds hurt, not when he tugged on the skin- he felt nothing. All he did feel was extreme exhaustion. Getting run over will do that, huh. 

Placing his hands on the counter, he leaned over the sink with his eyes closed.

_I'm dead_, he thought. _I'm actually fucking dead. _

Sehun thought of Johnny- the look he had given him minutes before Sehun ran in front of that car. Amber probably had only a mild concussion, but what was his family doing? He was dead to his family, to his friends, to the world. Did his lies help him? It wasn't his lies that killed him; if he hadn't pushed Amber, she'd be in this place instead of him. Or would she? 

"You're not wrong- she'd be dead, not you." An oddly familiar voice said. Sehun peeled his eyes opened and turned his head to look to where the voice came from- the bathroom doorway. 

It was the demon-man with the horns who welcomed him before he blacked out. He was leaning against the doorframe with a cigarette hanging loose from his swollen red lips, once seemingly pristine suit messy, the first four buttons of his dress shirt showing off bronze, taught skin. 

"Who are you?" Sehun inquired, pushing himself upright against the sink. "Where am I?" 

"Not where you deserve to be." 

"Huh?" 

"Listen, kid, I don't know how to say this," The demon-thing sighed as he took a long drag of his cigarette, "You weren't supposed to die." 

"_Huh_?" (Take to account Sehun was usually eloquently spoken, however, he just found out he was dead. There was no reputation he had to withhold anymore. No longer did he use big words to impress people; It was more caveman like grunts that were emitted from his mouth.) 

Ignoring Sehun's confusion, the demon man extended a hand. "I'm Kai, or in your world, Yeomra. But call me Kai." 

_Yeomra...._ the name rung a bell. Sehun's mind trailed back to his Asian mythology class in college. _Yeomra.. _

"The.. You're the King of.. death?" Sehun took Kai's hand hesitantly. Kai grinned. 

"Not exactly." 

The musty hotel room started to spin relentlessly, the floral wallpaper began to swirl. Kai's disheveled self dissipated into nothing- all Sehun saw was blue. Before he could retch, Sehun magically plopped into some cushioned seat in front a very large marble desk. Long, longitudinal windows the faced Sehun, illuminating the large, almost auditorium like room in neon blue lights.

When he tried standing up Sehun was immediately pushed back into his chair- looking down, the young man saw shackles on his wrists apprehending him from doing so. 

Kai suddenly appeared in the seat across from him, this time looking much more put together. His brown hair had been somehow turned blue and was pushed away from his face, his pinstriped suit was buttoned up, and his cigarette somehow was still lit. Sehun's clothes, too, had changed. They weren't wet or torn anymore, instead they felt as if they came straight from the dryer. 

"What the fuck was that?" Sehun yelped, trying to pull his wrists out of the chains. With an even deeper sigh, Kai took another drag of his cigarette. Even the smoke was blue. 

With no avail of escape from the shackles, Sehun gave up. He stared at Kai, all too confused on what was going on. 

Kai titled his hand towards the cuffs on Sehun's wrists, "I've tried to get rid of those for a while, but the gods seemingly don't trust humans all that much." 

Before Sehun could open his mouth, Kai continued, "Teleportation was the easiest and fastest way to bring you here, Sehun. I'm sorry for the discomfort, however. It's always painful the first time." 

"Well, kid, I can't make it any easier for the both of us." He scrunched his cigarette in the ashtray across from him, "You're not supposed to be dead."

"As I've been told." Sehun huffed. 

Kai smiled remorsefully. "And as the King of the Underworld- I'm responsible over every soul that enters the Underworld. Your soul isn't to come- not yet, at least." 

Sehun furrowed his brows.

"I don't.. I don't follow." 

"Hmm.. I don't expect you to. This is a mistake on my par. However, you're dead. You died after getting hit by a car, a pretty common trope."

Sehun frowned. His brain was hot-wiring things from all directions- he felt as if he was going to overheat and explode. He's dead. But he's not supposed to be dead. What was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to go? And on top of that, a very handsome King sat across from him, staring intensely into his soul, confusing him even more. 

Sehun licked his chapped lips, "Why don't you send--" 

"I can't send you back, I hope you know that." 

"Well, what can you do?" Sehun asked. 

The King rubbed circles in his temples. "I know you're confused, Kid. I am too. This has never happened- As unprofessional as it seems, I don't know what to do."

"Why can't you just send me back? Who'll notice?" 

Kai looked at him as if he were speaking pig latin. "You've been dead for months in the upper world. Under very specific circumstances are you allowed to turn into a ghost- your death doesn't fit those cases." 

Something clicked in Sehun's head. Maybe, just maybe, he could convince Kai to let him relive his life- to alter things- so he wouldn't die. A weird idea, but negotiating with the King of the underworld was weirder. The human crossed his legs and flashed Kai the grin that got him extra credit from his divorced studio art teacher. 

"But hear me out. Let me relive the last few years of my life- so I can fix things. So that I can live."

"You think I'd bend the rules for a mortal?" Kai raised an eyebrow. 

"Well, would you do it for anyone else?"

"No, and you want to know why?" Kai drummed his fingers on his desk, "Your idea is stupid. Reckless. Absolutely idiotic." 

"I don't belong here! You said it yourself! What am I supposed to do?"

"Suffer like the rest of the humans here, I'd presume." 

"Kai, please. I'll do anything for a second chance. I'll even sell my soul. _Please_." Sehun's pressed his hands in a prayer, or as close as he could, seeing that his wrists were still shackled. 

"You know what? Maybe I'll let you go back." 

"Thank you so much, oh my god, thank--" 

"On one condition." 

Sehun's grin faded. "Huh? What is it?" 

"You can't lie. Up until the day you're meant to die."

"Fuck." Sehun's whole life had been made up of lies- from minuscule, harmless white lies to fat, red libels. "Are you not aware of how far I made it with my lies?" 

Kai chuckled, "Not very far considering you're here. However, I do not think any drastic changes will happen if you tell the truth."

"I can I have at least ten chances? If I slip up, I get another chance? You're talking my entire life here, Kai." 

"I'll give you three. Sehun- do not take this lightly. I do not give everyone a second chance at life. Consider yourself very lucky." 

"I do- I'm not saying I'm not... I...." The human tried to look not as crestfallen as he was. Who has ever had another chance to live? No one he knew. (Obviously. No one Sehun has known has ever died before and has had a second chance at life.) Sehun had to be grateful- even though the odds of having a good life were stacked against him. But now was a chance he could fix things. 

"What is it?" 

"Nothing. It's nothing. Thank you, Kai. I'm forever in your debt." 

Kai smiled. "You're damn right." 

"So, when do I get back?" 

"You need to stay to fill out some forms, which my secretary will bring. She'll go over the rest with you." The chains bounding Sehun's wrists disappeared, and Kai got up from his seat. 

"I guess I'll see you later, Sehun." Kai's eyes twinkled with the lightest of mirth. Sehun found himself grinning in return, "Hopefully not too soon." 

With that, Kai teleported, leaving nothing but an empty chair a sandalwood and smoke scent. 

In Kai's wake a gorgeous green haired woman with dagger-like claws appeared. Hands filled with thick red files and papers, she sneered at Sehun, "I suppose you're the human." 

Sehun looked up, "Y..Yes?" Unsure of wether he had to get up, he kept in the cushioned seat. 

"Well," The woman scanned him up and down, "You're a pretty thing." Her eyes narrowed and Sehun blinked back in confusion. 

"Do you have my papers?" He brushed a hand through his hair- exhaustion ran deep in his bones and all Sehun wanted to do is go back home and sleep. Preferably in his own bed, and maybe when he woke up, this would've been all a fever dream. 

Sehun knew it all too well, though. This wasn't just a fever dream. It was real. 

The woman rolled her eyes, "Of course I do." She slammed the files in front of him, "Fill out everything that has a 'X' by it. I'll be with Kai if you need anything." She added with a smirk. 

"Okay..?" He opened the files to a contract of death as soon as the woman walked away, heels echoing in the empty room, "Can I have a pen?" 

He heard the woman mutter under her breath and heard a 'pop' to his left. A large feather quill and ink bottle had appeared, and sighing, Sehun began to initial his way through the piles of papers. City lights twinkled, the bright blue of the world outside lighting the room; _What a fucking day it's been_, Sehun thought. 

"It all doesn't seem right," Kai said, rubbing his chin. "People don't just end up here without me knowing of it. I know how each single soul dies- when and where, but Sehun? I know nothing of him, or how he died- not even a why!." 

Cupid hummed as he stirred the twelfth sugar packet in his coffee, "So, what have you done about him?" He takes a sip and looks at his friend with guilt. Kai doesn't take notice, he's chewing his bottom lip, deep in thought.

They were in a cafe not far from Kai's office- Cupid very rarely visited Hell, but whenever he did, he always had to meet Kai at No Heart No Soul Cafe; it was their tradition. He was dire to meet Kai now though, being that there was news he brought. 

"Well, I struck a deal with him. He was a compulsive liar back on earth, so I told him I'd send him back to earth to fix his mistakes, to prevent his death, but he couldn't lie. I did it so I could clear things down here..." Kai forked the pound cake on his plate, peering around the busy cafe just to see if anyone was listening, "But something about him... I've never felt so... so..."

"Enraptured?" Cupid finishes for him. Kai nods. "His death doesn't seem natural, not like any other my cases. Even Minthe is confused.. a little. I don't know what's up with Minthe these days. I'm thinking of breaking up with her anyways." 

Kai shrugs and takes a bite of cake, chasing it down with his cafe mocha. Cupid watches intently- the tension in Kai's shoulders, and there's a few gray hairs on his head (From stress, Cupid presumes, being that any being in the Underworld or in Heaven doesn't age.) 

Cupid's face sours at the thought of Minthe. "Hey Kai.. do you believe in destiny?" He says, unprompted, setting his drink carefully down on his coaster. 

"Of course, I'd be stupid not to. Why?" 

"You'd be surprised by those who want to tamper with your destiny, Kai. Let me tell you....." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those confused, 
> 
> The gods rank above Kings and Queens. Kings and Queens have their own offices and rule over their vicinities like CEOs over companies. Gods are more general, working over sections of lands and peoples while K/Qs focus on specific parts of the world. If a particular god barges in the work of another, they can be punished- same goes for K/Qs.
> 
> Anyways, can you guess who Cupid is?
> 
> hmu on twt: @kaiffene

**Author's Note:**

> (Kai is the King of Hell in East Asian mythology {Enma in the title and in Japanese/Yeomra in Korean})


End file.
